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Futurism, Pocketism, or Piracy

Yes, this is an editorial. Well, it is a blog…a writer’s blog. The writer’s slant… hoping to convince you to take some kind of action. What you do with what you read in this or any other blog is the responsibility of the reader. Thinking and acting…two of the gifts that come free with that magnificent brain we’re each given.

This blog is not about what I usually write about…writing. It’s about what’s going on in our country, the world, and what each of us can…and I believe must…to shape the world in which we live. Right now, today, we need to step up and speak out. I am outraged today by the oil futurists’ prognosis that “the sky is falling.” Nonsense.

My responsibility, as a writer, I believe, (whatever the topic may be) is to present a point of view convincingly enough that you, the reader make an informed decision, and decide upon an action, (if any) you will take. Sometimes it’s immediate action. Sometimes its’ further research. Sometimes you’ll find yourself stating “I don’t believe this” and taking no further action.

But…if you’re even slightly intrigued by the thought that the sky really isn’t falling, let your curiosity lead you on. What I hope you are outraged by, encouraged by…but not passive about…after reading this article, is that you control the futures market, and you determine whether… for the coffee you drink or the gas you use to fuel your vehicle…it protects you…or holds you hostage.

According to BusinessDictionary.com, the futures market is one ” in which participants can buy and sell commodities and their future delivery contracts. A futures market provides a medium for the complementary activities of hedging and speculation, necessary for dampening wild fluctuations in the prices caused by gluts and shortages.”

In other words, this market is supposed to protect you when weather forecasts tell us there won’t be enough rain in the Midwest this year to produce a good corn crop…and suggesting you stock up. Likewise, the overabundance of rain in Brazil (with an increased number of coffee drinkers) may mean less coffee production. The futures market is supposed to be your version of your grandparents’ root cellar, a place where staples are stored for “the lean times.”

Now, just for a moment, let’s talk about oil. The United States happens to have, as described by Amanda Carey in the April 26th, 2011 edition of The Daily Caller, “the largest oil reserve in the world.” Let me repeat that..”.in…the…world.” So, there is no “lean time” for the far foreseeable future. The root cellar is stocked full. Unless you and I have forgotten simple addition and subtraction, even if (and this, you understand is pure speculation, anyway), the futurists were right, and the Mideast Crisis (ongoing now for how many decades?) does result in a temporary oil shortage, …do you think we could handle it?

Better than any other country in the world, could we handle it? According to the article, “…the United States’ resources are larger than Saudi Arabia, China and Canada, combined. The report (if in doubt, follow this all the back to its actual, factual data roots) estimates that the U.S. has 163 billion barrels of recoverable oil and enough natural gas to meet the country’s demand for 90 years.”

So, what exactly is it that these “experts” in the futures market are doing for you..and me? Well, what about absolutely nothing…good. It is power improperly used. It is, once again, another Bernie Madoff out there, who, emboldened by his/her ability to hide in the wolves’ den of corporate anonymity, wants to convince us “the sky is falling and we had better listen and hide.” As we are fleeced once again, of course, the futurists’ and all their clients, are laired in gold-plated penthouses, laughing at our naivety, and convincing themselves of their own invincibility.

Well, I’m not buying it, are you? Become an active participant in the futures market. The facts clearly demonstrate that the current futurists’ actions are unconscionable, outrageous, fueled by greed, and goaded by the crowd mentality…”The sky is falling. What to do, what to do.”

I’m pushing back, in every way I know how…writing, calling, standing on my soap box, to Congressional members, portfolio managers, neighbors…proclaiming that “enough is enough.” It’s time that “we the people” took back control of our lives and our finances. Are you convinced? If not, or if you choose not to take action, expect the fleecing to continue.

As with many things we try to make too complex, this issue is simple. We need to remind ourselves that the sky is not falling. We need to demand the key to the root cellar. After all, it is our root cellar. We’ve already paid for the oil supplies that are stocked there. The price of oil is ours to control.

“We the people” must demand that those who hold positions in the marketplace (and the government) that represents its stockholders (you and me), behave ethically, morally, and in our interest. Call me a bit cynical, but who besides me, believes that the decisions of many futurists in this market are based more on accountability to their own pocket than to yours…and that the funds lining many of those pockets…are not from the masses, but the wealthy few who also have the most to gain? Futurists, whose irresponsible behavior in driving oil prices up need to be held accountable…individually and severally.

The FACTS bear repeating: the United States has the largest oil reserve in the world. There has been war and turmoil in the Mideast (and elsewhere) for many centuries. Yes…the world will run out of oil…someday. The United States will not be the first affected, and can use responsible stewardship to moderate price and usage worldwide while other energy sources are developed. It is our responsibility, obligation, and hopefully, our honor.

We do not need to pay more at our gas pumps because there’s a rumor being spread that “the sky is falling.” We need to remind everyone around us, or within our “six degrees of separation,” that the root cellar is stocked full, and as it runs out, we’ve already planted a new, and more nourishing crop that will be ready for harvest way before the root cellar shelves even begin to look bare.